Loom protector rod actuating mechanism



Aug. 31, 1948.

c. H. cALLAHAN ET A1. 2,448,250

LOOM PROTECTOR ROD ACTUATING MEGHANISM Filed JuneA 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY//MWM/M A TTORNEYS.'

Aug '31, 1948- c. H. cALLAHAN ET AL 2,448,250

, LOOM PROTECTOR ROD ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed' June 6, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented ug. 3l, 1.948

l-lA'lJlEINT OFFICE l LOOM PROTECTOR ROD ACTUATING MECHANISM Clarence H. Callahan and William Languirand,

New Bedford, Mass.,

assignors to Textile Research Co., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 6, 1947, Serial No. '753,028

This invention relates to a loom and more particularly to a means for actuating the protector rod.

In modern high speed looms picking of the shuttle begins before thelay reaches the mid portion of its rearward movement, the shuttle enters the shuttle box on the other side of the loom after the lay has reached back center and has begun its forward movement, and the shuttle is usually completely boxed shortly before the lay has reached the forward limit of its forward movement. The shuttle box in which the shuttle is boxed includes a front box plate and a back box plate. One of these` plates or walls is pivotally supported at the outer end and isusually called a binder as it provides friction for the shuttle as it enters the box. The binder is provided with a swell which is engaged by the incoming shuttle and which causes the binder to rock rearwardly against the pressure of a binder spring and against the pressure of the protector rod spring, The protector rod extends lengthwise of the yloom and is usually mounted in a bearing adjacent either of its ends and also may have a center bearing. The dagger is carried by this protect-or rod, while an arm extends from the rod up into operative relation with the binder of the shuttle box, so that if the shuttle is not in 'positionin the box, the dagger will not be raised and consequently the loom will bang off. In order to lower the dagger into position so that the loom will bang off if the shuttle does not enter the box a springis provided. The pressure of the binder springand the protector rod spring does not vary appreciably andas a result the shuttle must enter a'relatively tight box since substantial pressure must be maintained on the protector rod to insure that the dagger on the protector rod will be maintained in protecting position until the shuttle has entered the shuttle box a distance sufficient to operate the protector mechanism. Increase in loom speeds necessarily requires increase protector rod spring pressure; thus, in order to obtain adequate pressure, substantial increase in pressure is applied to the binder as the speed of the loom increases. This pressure causes `difculties in operation since a large amount of power is necessary to pick-the shuttle out of the shuttle box and to ldrive it completely home into the shuttle box on the other side of the loom.

lThus, it follows that a reduction in pressure applied to the binder at the time that the shuttle is checked results in a substantial reduction in thefpower required to pick the shuttle across the looms Ifless power is required, then there will 4 Claims. (Cl. 139-347) be a reduction in speed of the shuttle as it enters the opposite shuttle box. A reduction in binder pressure both when the shuttle is being picked and when it is being checked results in less wear on the shuttle and on the entire picking mechanism including the lug straps and the check straps.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved construction whereby spring pressure on the protector rod may be reduced and yet the protector rod will be caused to quickly follow its desired movement with respect to the box binder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a T51 construction which more quickly follows the lay movements and shuttle movements than may be had by a coil spring arrangement.

' Another object of this invention is to provide a release of pressure on the shuttle as it is picked from the box.

Another object of this invention is to apply pressure on the box binder as theshuttle is entering the box.

Another object of this invention is to provide aA control for the box binder which Will be actuated by the movement of the' lay about its rockshaft.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists :of certain novel features of con-4 struction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevation of a fragmental portion of the loom to illustrate the device which I have provided on the protector rod;

coi

in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on substantially line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to 4101 parts in a different position.

In proceeding with this invention, instead of increasing the tension of the spring which is applied to the protector rod, we have provided a very light spring or no spring on the protector rod and 45' have attached to the protector rod a vane, which is of very light weight, but of substantial surface area, so that, as the lay swings back and forth `about its rockshaft, the pressure of the air upon this vane will rock or assist to rock the protector 5o rod about its axis and thus apply a controlling action on the binder of the shuttle box and also upon the ydagger which causes the loom to bang off. Further, we have supplemented this action Fig. s withY the by a positive control for the protector rod which 551 will swing the rod by mechanical means by acan'l.`

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the structure shownV 3 action which acts as the lay swings about its rockshaft.

With reference to the drawings, II) designates a part of the loom :frame having a front girth I I and rearwardly thereof a rockshaft I2 upon which the lay sword I3 is mounted, I4 designates generally the shuttle box at one end of the lay and I5 the picker stick with the picker i6 at the upper end thereof for driving the shuttle Il (see Fig. 2) out of the shuttle box I4. The front wall of this shuttle box is designated I8 and the back wall is designated I9 which is cut out for reception of the binder 2I which is pivoted and is provided with a swell Z3 to engage this shuttle and apply friction thereto when the shuttle enters the box I4.

The protector rod 2li is mounted in bearings at either end ci the lay and also sometimes in a bearing at the mid portion of the lay and is provided with a rearwardly extending arm 25 (see Fig. 2 and also Fig. 3) upon which the bracket 26 is mounted adjustably by means of screws 21 which has at its upper end an adjustable finger 28 threaded into this bracket and held in position by a check nut 29. A dagger moves with the pro- Jsector rod 24.

At some point along the protector rod 24, a sleeve 3I encircles this rod with a downwardly extending ange 32 to which a vane 33 is secured by means of the bolts and nuts 35. This sleeve 3I may be adjusted along the protector rod by set screws 36 which are threaded through the sleeve and engage the rod. This adjustment may be either longitudinally of the rod or circularly of the rod.

The crank shaft is designated 3l, having a crank thereon with a link 39 connecting this crank pin lil to the lay as at 4I so that each time the crank turns over the lay will be reciprocated about its rockshaft I2.

The lay, as shown in Fig. 3, is at front center, that is, the point furthest forward at which it will operate, while in Fig. 4 the lay is shown at back center with the link 39 and crank 38 in line a1; the other end of its stroke.

As the lay is moved from back center to front center, the pressure of the air upon the surface 46 of the vane 33 will move the vane from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and thus will rock the protector rod 24 to swing the arm 25 and the bracket so as to force the finger 28 into engagement with the binder and move the binder into a position so that when the shuttle enters the box friction will be applied thereto. The position of the vane is inclined to a vertical so that there is a tendency for what gravity there is which is applied to 'the light vane to swing it downwardly and thus when the lay reverses its movement and starts to travel in a direction from front center to back center, the vane 33 will be moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 at the very initial change in movement of the lay and thus will rock the protector rod 214 so as to move the` arl/n 25 downwardly and the bracket 26 so that the ringer 28 will release the binder 2i and leave the shuttle in the box free to be driven out by the picker stick. This wind vane will cause a much quicker movement of the protector rod than is possible by the use oi springs no matter how heavy they may be and by the use of a light spring and this wind action upon a vane, a much quicker movement will be had and thus one which is .more highly desirable when high speed operation of the loom is engaged in.

In addition to the control of the rod 24 by the vane 33, we have provided a positive control which is actuated when the lay moves to a certain predetermined position. The sleeve 3| is provided with an arm 50 which extends forwardly from the protector rod 24 (see Fig. 3), and a link 5I extends downwardly `from the end of .this arm 5I) to be freely guided in an eye 52 carried by the lower end of the lay sword I3. A sleeve 53 is adjustably mounted upon the link 5I and carries a finger 54 at right angles thereto.

A cam 55, which is mounted upon a pin 56 on bracket 5l adjustably secured to girth II, is in the path of movement of this linger 54 so that as the lay swings the finger 54 will engage the under surface oi this cam 55 and cause the link 5I to be moved downwardly in its path which is guided through the eye 52. A spring 58 serves to resiliently mount the cam 55 so that it may rock upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and thus cause the spring pressure of this spring 58 to act upon the nger 5d to cause the link to move downwardly.l This spring 58 .may be adjusted by its end being secured to the washer 59 with the set screw 60 extending through this washer to engage the pin 55 which mounts the part in position.

By this relationship, as the lay moves to front center, the vane 33 will be caused to move from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 to the full line position shown in Fig. 3 by the action of the atmosphere resisting the movement of the lay to this position, while at the same time as the lay reaches a certain predetermined position, the cam 55 will engage the finger 54 and move the cam which, through its spring, rwill move the link downwardly to assist the movement of the protection rod counterclockwise in the view shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so as to swing the bracket 26 to cause the ringer 28 to aid the binder and move it into a position to friction the shuttle as it enters a box. As the lay moves away from front center, the action of the vane will be as heretofore, and as the lay reaches the position, such as shown in Fig. 4i, the spring action will be spent and the box will be free by reason of the bracket 26 moving away from the binder 2 I.

We claim:

1. A loom comprising a lay having a shuttle box at one end thereof, a movable box wall, a protector rod responsive to the movement of said wall to control the loom stop motion and positive means responsive to the movement of the lay to a predetermined position of the crank shaft to rotate the rod to control the movement of the box wall, comprising an arm on said rod with a link extending from said arm having a nger on said link and a cam on the front girth of the loom to engage said nger and move the link when the lay moves to cause engagement of the nger and cam.

2. A loom as in claim 1 wherein said cam is resiliently mounted.

3. A loom comprising a lay having a shuttle box at one end thereof, a movable box Wall, a protector rod responsive to the movement of said wall to control the loom stop motion and positive means responsive to the movement of the lay to `a predetermined :position of the crank shaft to rotate the rod to control the movement of the boxv wall and means to assist said positive means comprising means responsive to air pressure thereon caused by movement of the lay.

4. A loom as in claim 1 wherein said means comprise an arm on said rod with a link extending from said arm having a nger on said link and- 5 6 a cam on the front girth of the loom to` engage REFERENCES CITED Sad nger and move the link When the lay moves The following references are of record. in the to cause engagement of the nger and cam, and fue of this patent: means to assisi'l said positive means comprising UNI STATES PATENTS means responsive to air pressure thereon caused 5 by movement of the lay. Number Name Date 1,029,937 McGuiness 1 June 18, 1912 CLARENCE H. CALLAHAN. 1,610,701 Northrop Dec. 14, 1926 WILLIAM LANGUIRAND. 2,114,949 West Apr. 19, 1938 

